WO2019044677A1

WO2019044677A1 - Terminal bracket

Info

Publication number: WO2019044677A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/031276
Authority: WO
Inventors: 田中　宣吉; 南光　勇一; 隆史東尾; 章高山
Original assignee: 住友電装株式会社; 株式会社鈴木
Priority date: 2017-08-29
Filing date: 2018-08-24
Publication date: 2019-03-07
Also published as: CN111033903A; US20200185851A1; JP2019040830A

Abstract

Provided is a terminal bracket with which it is possible to reduce material cost. This terminal bracket (10) is a press-molded product of a metal plate, and is provided with a tab part (11). The tab part (11) has, on at least one surface from among two surfaces facing opposite directions in the plate thickness direction, a contact part (21) that comes into contact with a counterpart terminal bracket, and also has, on at least one surface from among two surfaces facing opposite directions in the plate width direction, a press concave part (22) in which the plate thickness is increased.

Description

Terminal bracket

The present invention relates to a terminal fitting.

Patent Document 1 discloses a male terminal formed by pressing a plate-like base material made of a conductive metal. The male terminal has a tongue-like tab on the tip side. The tab has contacts on two flat surfaces facing in the thickness direction and facing each other in electrical contact with the female terminal on the other side of the connection.

JP, 2014-175196, A

In the case of this type of male terminal, the tab needs to have a predetermined thickness, and the metal plate as the base material also needs to have a thickness corresponding to the tab. On the other hand, since the material cost of the metal plate occupies most of the manufacturing cost, it is desirable to make the metal plate thinner to reduce this.

This invention is completed based on the above situations, Comprising: It aims at providing the terminal metal fitting which can reduce material cost.

The terminal fitting of the present invention is a press-formed product of a metal plate, and includes a tab portion, and the tab portion contacts the mating terminal fitting on at least one of two surfaces facing in opposite directions in the plate thickness direction. The present invention is characterized in that it has a press recess for increasing the plate thickness on at least one of the two surfaces facing in the plate width direction and opposite to each other.

Since the plate thickness of the tab portion is increased by the press recess, a predetermined plate thickness of the tab portion can be secured even if the metal plate as the base material is thinner than in the prior art. Thus, the material cost can be reduced by making the metal plate thinner than before.

It is a perspective view of the terminal metal fitting which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a principal part side view of a terminal metal fitting. It is a principal part bottom view of a terminal metal fitting. It is a principal part top view of a terminal metal fitting. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 4 and showing a state in which a press-fit portion is press-fit into a press-fit hole of a connector housing. It is sectional drawing showing the process of shape | molding a press recessed part by press work on the both sides | surfaces of a tab part.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below.
The press recess may have an inclined surface which is inclined in a direction approaching at least one of two surfaces facing away from each other in the thickness direction from the back side to the opening side of the press recess. According to this, it is possible to plastically flow the metal plate along the slope of the press recess and to form the surface having the contact portion smoothly.

The press recesses may be provided on two surfaces facing in opposite directions in the plate width direction. According to this, it is possible to accurately form the surface having the contact portion from both sides in the plate width direction.

A press-fit portion to be press-fit into the press-fit hole of the connector housing is connected to the base end of the tab portion, and the press-fit portion is a second press-fit portion on one of two faces facing in opposite directions in the plate thickness direction. It is good to have a press recessed part and to have a bulging part corresponding to the said 2nd press recessed part in one other surface. According to this, a metal plate can be made thin including the part of a press-fit part. In addition, when the bulging end surface of the bulging portion abuts on the hole surface of the press-fitting hole, the press-fitting portion can be press-fit into the press-fitting hole without play in the thickness direction.

The surface having the contact portion and the bulging end surface of the bulging portion may be continuous without any step. According to this, in the process of press-fitting the press-fit portion into the press-fit hole, it is possible to prevent the connecting portion of the surface having the contact portion and the bulging end face of the bulging portion from being caught by the connector housing. It can be done smoothly.

The press recess may be displaced in a direction in which the plate thickness is increased only in one of the two surfaces facing in the plate thickness direction in the tab portion opposite to each other. According to this, the planarity of the other surface which is not displaced can be reliably maintained, and by having the contact portion on the other surface, the connection reliability of the contact portion can be improved.

Example 1
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The terminal fitting 10 of the first embodiment is formed by punching a conductive metal plate made of copper, copper alloy or the like by press working. Specifically, the chain terminal is first formed by punching a metal plate. The chain terminal has a carrier in which a plurality of terminal fitting pieces project in parallel. The terminal fitting 10 is formed by cutting from the carrier after the chain terminal is subjected to press processing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 10 is in the form of a solid angle rod which extends in the front-rear direction as a whole. The terminal fitting 10 includes a tab portion 11 at the front and a board connection portion 12 at the rear. The board connection portion 12 is formed longer than the tab portion 11, inserted into the connection hole of the printed circuit board, and electrically connected to the conductive portion of the printed circuit board. In addition, the board | substrate connection part 12 may be bent as needed.

The terminal fitting 10 further includes a press-fit portion 13 and a stopper portion 14 between the tab portion 11 and the substrate connection portion 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the press-fit portion 13 is press-fit into a press-fit hole 81 provided in a connector housing 80 mounted on a printed circuit board. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of protrusions 15 are provided on both side surfaces of the press-in portion 13 (both surfaces facing opposite sides in the plate width direction (X direction in the drawing)). The protrusions 15 are arranged side by side in a sawtooth shape. When the press-fit portion 13 is press-fit into the press-fit hole 81, each protrusion 15 bites into and is locked to the both sides of the press-fit hole 81, and the terminal fitting 10 is held by the connector housing 80 in a retaining state.

As shown in FIG. 6, both the upper and lower surfaces (both surfaces facing opposite each other in the thickness direction (Y direction in the drawing)) of the press-fit portion 13 are flat along the left and right direction (X direction in the drawing). And are arranged parallel to one another. A second press recess 16 is provided at the left and right center of the lower surface of the press-fit portion 13. The second press recess 16 has an angular recess shape in cross section, and has a slit groove shape extending in the front-rear direction over substantially the entire length of the press-fit portion 13. The second press recess 16 is pressed and compressed by a convex press die corresponding thereto.

At the left and right center portions of the upper surface of the press-fit portion 13, a bulging portion 17 which is bulging-deformed as the second press recess portion 16 is formed is provided. The bulging portion 17 has an angular convex shape in cross section corresponding to the second press concave portion 16 and has a rib shape extending in the front-rear direction over substantially the entire length of the press-in portion 13. The bulging end surface 17T of the bulging portion 17 is disposed flat along the left-right direction. The distance between the bulging end surface 17T of the bulging portion 17 and the lower surface of the press-fitting portion 13 is made larger than the bulging portion of the bulging portion 17 and the vertical dimension of both side surfaces of the press-fitting portion 13 The opening size is the same as or slightly smaller than the opening size. Therefore, when the press-fit portion 13 is press-fit into the press-fit hole 81, the lower surface of the press-fit portion 13 is arranged to be able to abut the lower surface of the press-fit hole 81 as shown in FIG. Outgoing end face 17T is disposed to be able to abut on the upper surface of press-fit hole 81. Therefore, the press-fit portion 13 is disposed in the press-fit hole 81 of the connector housing 80 substantially without a gap in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the stopper portion 14 is located rearward of the press-fit portion 13, and has a configuration in which a pair of wing portions 18 project on both left and right sides. The press-fit portion 13 is inserted into the press-fit hole 81 from the rear, and both wing portions 18 are abutted against the rear surface of the connector housing 80, whereby the mounting position of the terminal fitting 10 with respect to the connector housing 80 is defined. When the terminal fitting 10 is attached to the connector housing 80 in this manner, the tab portion 11 is disposed so as to project forward (usually in the hood) from the main body of the connector housing 80.

The tab portion 11 has a tapered surface 19 which is tapered at its tip end in a tapered shape. The press fitting operation into the press-fitting hole 81 is guided by the introduction of the tapered surface 19 of the terminal fitting 10.
As shown in FIG. 5, both upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion 11 (both surfaces facing the opposite side in the thickness direction (Y direction in the drawing) are flat along the left and right direction (X direction in the drawing). And are arranged parallel to one another. The upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion 11 have contact portions 21 with which the contact portions of the mating terminal fitting elastically contact.

Both side surfaces of the tab portion 11 (surfaces facing opposite sides in the plate width direction (X direction in the drawing)) are arranged parallel to each other so as to be cut in the vertical direction (the same direction as the Y direction in the drawing) . A press recess 22 is provided on upper portions (portions above the upper and lower center portions) of both side surfaces of the tab portion 11. The press recess 22 has a substantially V-shaped cross section, and has a tapered slope 23 and a small slope 24 that are expanded toward both side surfaces of the tab portion 11. The inclination angle with respect to the horizontal axis in the left-right direction is made larger on the upper slope 23 than on the small slope 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the press recess 22 has a notch groove shape extending in the front-rear direction over substantially the entire length of the tab portion 11 including the tip end having the tapered surface 19.

As shown in FIG. 7, the press recess 22 is pressed by the corresponding convex press die 60 and compression molded. In the tab portion 11, the material on the side face plastically flows upward by pressing the side of the side face into the upper side by the pressing die 60 having the slope portion 61 corresponding to the slope 23 of the pressing recess 22 and the height position of the top face It will be located above the height position at the time of removal. That is, the tab part 11 is raised by the slope 23 of the press recessed part 22, and it will be in the state to which board thickness was made to increase.

The upper left and right corner portions 25 of the tab portion 11 are slightly retracted inwardly (left and right center side) by plastic flow upward due to the formation of the press recess 22, and take a curved surface shape. On the other hand, the left and right corner portions 26 on the lower side of the tab portion 11 do not substantially become a deformed portion that plastically flows, and are chamfered in a tapered shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper surface of the tab portion 11 is continued to the bulging end surface 17 T of the bulging portion 17 at substantially the same height position, and the upper surface of the tab portion 11 and the bulging portion 17 bulging The continuous portion with the end face 17T is substantially continuous without any step. Further, the upper surface of the tab portion 11 is disposed one step higher than the upper surface of the press-fit portion 13 excluding the bulging portion 17, the upper surface of the stopper portion 14 and the upper surface of the substrate connecting portion 12.

When the connector housing 80 is fitted in the mating connector housing, the contact portion of the mating terminal fitting mounted on the mating connector housing elastically contacts the contact portions 21 on the upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion 11. In this case, even if the metal plate as the base material is thinned, the plate thickness of the tab portion 11 is increased by the press recess 16, so the distance between the contact portions 21 on the upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion 11 is secured to a predetermined value. As a result, good connection between the terminal fitting 10 and the mating terminal fitting can be realized.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the plate thickness of the tab portion 11 is increased by forming the press recess 22 on the side surface of the tab portion 11, the metal plate as the base material is made thinner than in the conventional case. Even in this case, the thickness of the tab portion 11 can be secured. Thus, the material cost can be reduced by making the metal plate thinner than conventional.

Further, since the second press recess 16 is provided on the lower surface of the press-fit portion 13 and the bulging portion 17 corresponding to the second press recess 16 is provided on the upper surface of the press-fit portion 13 When the outgoing end surface 17T abuts on the upper surface of the press-fit hole 81 of the connector housing 80, the press-fit portion 13 can be press-fit into the press-fit hole 81 in the vertical direction without play. Therefore, even if the terminal fitting 10 is manufactured using a thinner metal plate than in the past, the connector housing 80 does not have to be redesigned from the conventional one. In addition, there is no need to change the design of the mating terminal fitting and mating connector housing to be connected from the conventional one.

Moreover, since the upper surface of the tab portion 11 and the bulging end surface 17T of the bulging portion 17 are continuous without any step, the upper surface of the tab portion 11 and the upper surface of the tab portion 11 are press-fitted in the process of press fitting the press fitting portion 13 into the press fitting hole 81 of the connector housing 80. It is possible to prevent the portion where the bulging portion 17 continues to the bulging end surface 17T from being caught by the connector housing 80, and the press-fitting operation can be performed smoothly.

Further, since the press recess 22 has the inclined surface 23 which inclines in the direction approaching the upper surface from the back side to the opening side, plastic flow is caused along the slope 23 of the press recess 22 and the upper surface of the tab portion 11 is It can be formed smoothly.

Furthermore, since the press recesses 22 are provided on both side surfaces of the tab portion 11, the flatness of the upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion 11 can be secured, and the connection reliability of the contact portion 21 can be secured.

Furthermore, since the press recess 22 is displaced in the direction to increase the plate thickness only on the upper surface side of the tab portion 11, the flatness of the lower surface of the tab portion 11 not displaced can be reliably maintained, and the connection reliability of the contact portion 21 Sex can be further improved.

Other Embodiments
Other embodiments will be briefly described below.
(1) The terminal fitting may be connected to the end of the wire. In this case, the terminal fitting may have a barrel portion connected to the end of the wire instead of the board connection portion.
(2) The contact portion may be provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion.
(3) The press recess may not have a small slope, and for example, the lower surface corresponding to the small slope may be disposed horizontally in the left-right direction.
(4) The press recess may be provided only on either side of both sides of the tab.
(5) Both the upper and lower surfaces of the tab portion may be displaced in the thickness increasing direction by the press recess. In this case, the press recesses may be provided at the upper and lower central portions of both side surfaces of the tab portion, and the slopes may be set on both the upper and lower sides so as to be inclined at substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the horizontal axis.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 11 ... Tab part 13 ... Press-fit part 16 ... 2nd press recessed part 17 ... Bulging part 21 ... Contact part 22 ... Press recessed part 23 ... Slope

Claims

It is a press-formed product of metal plate and has a tab part,
The tab portion is
In at least one of the two surfaces facing in the thickness direction opposite to each other, a contact portion contacting the mating terminal fitting is provided,
A terminal fitting characterized by having a press recess for increasing a plate thickness on at least one of two faces facing in opposite directions in the plate width direction.
The press recess has an inclined surface which is inclined in a direction approaching at least one of two surfaces facing in the opposite direction in the thickness direction from the back side to the opening side of the press recess. Terminal fittings as described.
The terminal fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the press concave portions are provided on two surfaces facing in opposite directions in the plate width direction.
A press-fit portion press-fit into the press-fit hole of the connector housing is connected to the proximal end of the tab portion,
The press-fit portion has a second press recess on one of two surfaces facing in opposite directions in the thickness direction, and a bulge corresponding to the second press recess on the other surface. The metal terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has
The terminal fitting according to claim 4, wherein the surface having the contact portion and the bulging end surface of the bulging portion are continuous without any step.
The terminal fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the press recess is displaced in a direction in which the plate thickness is increased only in one of two surfaces facing opposite sides in the plate thickness direction in the tab portion.